Six months have passed since I parted ways with Efran and Rena.
And what am I doing now?
I'm running...
Right behind me, a giant snake is writhing wildly, knocking over almost all the trees around it. It's a snake nearly 15 meters long, with thick white scales and a slight red pattern along its body. But its tail is as red as blood.
And the snake is chasing me. Maybe it wants to make me its first course on this hot day. It stares at me fiercely with its red eyes. I keep running away from its pursuit.
But unlike when I fought the goblins the first time I was here, this time I'm really enjoying it all. My heart is pounding. It's so exciting. Without realizing it, my lips begin to smile, enjoying this game. My game with the monsters in the forest. A Hunting Game.
For the past six months, I've been continuously training my archery skills, my sharpness in analyzing my prey monsters.
Redwolf... Bluebear... Chimera.
I don't know how many monsters I've defeated. And this giant white snake that's chasing me right now is my new target.
This is a game where calmness and agility are the basis. Monsters are monsters. They are creatures that attack us only with their instincts. They move based on their instincts.
Hiss!
The snake's hiss is loud, deafening my ears. It looks really angry at me. Sweat starts to drench my clothes. It quickly extends its head towards me, and I jump to the right to avoid it. As I turn my body and release my arrow at its head. My arrow bounces off, its tip unable to penetrate the snake's hard scales.
Damn!
I run again and slide down on the steep surface of the ground.
Thud!
There's a loud sound right behind me. This time the snake slams its head into the ground right behind me. Maybe it's trying to pounce on me with its hungry mouth. I release my arrow again, this time my arrow hits its tongue.
The white snake hisses in pain very loudly. As an addition, the bow in the palm of my right hand is a gift from Mr. Efran. The night before we parted, he gave me a very beautiful white bow, which he had made for a month with me. The white color of this bow itself is a color produced by Mr. Efran's wind magic. He put wind magic into this bow. And makes this bow capable of firing arrows that have received additional wind attributes. Mr. Efran said that objects with magical powers like his creations are usually called 'Incanty'.
When I draw my arrow, its tip will get additional wind attributes. The wind attribute will increase the power and sharpness of the tip of my arrow. Therefore, the longer I pull it, the more wind attributes are collected there. And finally, resulting in a powerful attack.
This time I managed to position myself to the right of the snake. Right in front of its right eye. I release my arrow again towards it. And my arrow pierces right into its red eyeball.
The snake hisses and writhes in pain. It swings its head left and right very hard. Saliva sprays everywhere from its mouth. It's like moaning in pain. And black blood flows from the wound in its eye.
This is the end!
I run towards a large rock beside a tree near the snake's head. I run from the rock to the surface of the tree trunk, and... jump onto the head of the snake that is writhing in pain. This time my body is right above the snake's head, and the tip of my arrow is filled with wind attributes.
Arrgggghhh!
I pull my arrow hard and fire it right at the snake's head. My body falls and rolls on the ground, simultaneously with the giant snake's head falling with a loud sound. This time I managed to pierce its head. I lay down and took a deep breath.
Haha ha ha ha ha
I laugh, enjoying my victory.
****
Night has fallen, and I sit in front of a bonfire, roasting the meat of the giant snake I hunted. The aroma is so fragrant and tempting, the cavities in my stomach that have been screaming for food are starting to scream.
Ahh... five more minutes.
I coat the surface of the meat with 'Exsil' leaves. Rena told me to always coat this leaf when I cook monster meat. Because besides adding a salty and spicy taste, 'Exsil' leaves are also able to neutralize the content of wild monster meat. Removing harmful substances from the meat.
My first bite feels so delicious. Its deliciousness flows into the cavities of my mouth. The taste of this giant snake meat is probably almost the same as the grilled eel I used to eat in Japan. Only the texture is harder, and has more fibers.
While biting into the giant snake meat I caught, I look at the bonfire in front of me. The flames seem to spread as if accompanying my loneliness. Well... after all, I'm always alone. Whether it's here or in my previous world. But the most important thing about the bonfire in front of me is its warmth. Its warmth that can drive away the cold of the night air.
My eyes then look at the white bow given by Mr. Efran. I'm so lucky to have it, at least now I have a weapon to help me hunt. And of course to defend myself from the monsters in the Initium Forest.
Every night, Mr. Efran always explained to me the types of monsters here. The wolf type, a type of monster that always hunts its prey in groups. The snake type, is a type of monster that more often lives alone. And there are many other types as well.
But the most dangerous are monsters of the Humanoid type. They are a type of monster that has a body almost resembling a human. They attack in groups with intelligence to a certain extent. Their reactions are not based on instinct and nature, but more on intuition and logic. The humanoid type of monster in this forest is the Orge and Goblin. Until now I still haven't met the Orge type, which is said to be dozens of times more terrifying than Goblins.
I go back to chewing the giant snake meat in my mouth. But based on Mr. Efran's explanation, there is a unique case where a monster can transform into a humanoid type. An evolutionary process. A rare case and rarely occurs. Monsters that go through this evolutionary process have intelligence on par with humans. With a body shape that is very similar to humans, or what is commonly called Half-blood.
Most Half-bloods are able to blend in and adapt themselves to humans. And even, according to Mr. Efran's confession, one of the members of his party used to be a wolf Half-blood. Half-bloods have innate monster abilities with human intelligence. They are the most terrifying race. Even more than the Elf race.
Without realizing it, midnight was almost upon us, and I decided to rest after finishing the rest of the giant snake meat I had eaten.
And morning has come...
I walk again through the forest to find leaves that I can store in my supplies. Before starting the journey, I collect the leftover meat from the giant snake I hunted, which I have seasoned with 'Exsil' leaves to preserve by drying it in the sun.
And on the surface of the ground, I accidentally found traces of footprints resembling humans, but without any soles. But with a size twice the normal size of humans.
These are the footprints of a group of Orges.
I walk slowly again through the forest, while my eyes are wary of my surroundings. Not long after I heard the sound of a commotion, followed by the sound of human screams. I run towards it, and I see a group of people being surrounded by a group of Orges.
One of them shouted, "Hey, Allen! Quickly cast earth magic to trap the Orges."
He shouted while running and swinging his sword at one of the Orges there. And the woman who seemed to be named Allen started to chant her spell. But before she could finish chanting her spell, one of the orges grabbed her body with their big arms.
And pulled her body forcefully.
"Aaarrrghhhh!"
The woman screamed in pain.
"Alleennnn!!!"
And the man shouted seeing his colleague being pulled by the orge with ferocity.